Human and animal restraining systems are known in the art. For example, a papoose is a popular device for restraining a child during transport or while medical personnel are acting upon the restrained child. The papoose includes a solid board and straps connected to the solid board that hold the child in place.
Child restraining systems are also known in the art of diaper changing. Changing a child's diaper can often times be a difficult task. As children grow and learn to move about, they become less likely to remain still while on their backs during a diaper change. They will often roll over, sit up, attempt to arch their backs, or reach for objects next to the diapering station. These actions make it nearly impossible to effectively change the child's diaper or, at the very least, frustrate the parent or guardian changing the diaper.
Safety is a major concern with typical diapering stations. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that half of the estimated 328,500 infants 12 months of age or younger who were treated for injuries in hospital emergency departments were injured as a result of a fall. Such falls occurred on staircases, flat ground, and diapering stations, raising major questions about the safety of an infant's home. The CDC's report confirms the need for safer diapering stations.
Diapering also requires multiple hands. One hand is needed to hold the child in a secure position, and one hand is needed to remove the diaper, clean the child, and replace the diaper. Because diapering with one hand is difficult, the child is often times not secured and is trusted to remain in position during the diaper changing process. Also, most diapering pads are placed on changing tables or beds, and the child is not safely secured on the changing surface. The child is therefore prone to fall from elevated changing surfaces.
Some diaper changing tables have a midsection buckle restraint due to the inherent dangers of diaper changing. This restraint is connected to the diaper changing pad and connects around the midsection of the child to keep the child immobilized during the diaper change. However, the conventional restraint fails to keep the child effectively immobilized because the straps are attached at the bottom of the pad and wrap around the side edges when immobilizing the child. The straps, when buckled together, form a gap between the side of the pad and the child, allowing the child to roll or otherwise escape the grasp of the straps and frustrate the diapering process. Other diaper changing pads include straps that do not extend through the pad completely and therefore lack the rigidity needed to hold the child in place.